It is known to provide automotive interiors with various trim parts to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the automotive interior and to provide comfort, as well as convenience, to vehicle occupants. Examples of some of these interior trim parts include instrument trim panels, door trim panels, console panels, armrests, bolsters, and handles. To improve the comfort to vehicle occupants, it is desired to provide at least portions of some these trim parts, such as handles, with areas that are cushy or soft to the touch.
Notably, certain drawbacks exist with current handles, e.g. grab handles and steering wheels, including a lack of soft feel and inefficient manufacturing and assembly processes. Typically, handles have been formed by multi-step processes generally involving application of a hard-feel material around a substrate, or insert, such as a piece of metal. More specifically, one method for making automotive handles, such as steering wheels, involves insertion of a thin padding material beneath a pliable surface layer of leather, vinyl, or fabric material, which may be secured to a rigid substrate. In other cases, the padding material may be omitted leaving simply the leather, vinyl, or fabric material. Consequently, the methods generally used to produce automotive handles typically result in handles having a hard feel and can be time-consuming and costly due to the multiple components and steps required to make them.
There is thus a need for an improved trim part, e.g. a handle, with a soft feel that may be used in a trim assembly, and a method for making the same, that simplifies the number of parts and steps required for assembly thereof thereby reducing overall manufacturing costs.